Clothes hanger



1 June 30, 1942. R J SHANAHAN 2,288,551

CLOTHES HANGER Filed Feb. 15, 1940 INVENTOR R2 01121 Jamas fihazzafzcmATTORNEY.

Patented June 30, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHES HANGERRichard James Shanahan, Evanston, Ill. Application February 1 5, 1940,Serial No. 319,000

4 Claims. (01. 223-95) This invention relates to a new and improved typeof clothes hanger and more particularly a new and improved type ofhanger for trousers.

At the present time it is customary to hang trousers either by foldingthem in the middle over the lower portion of aconventional coat hanger,or by suspending them upside down from the cuffs. This usually resultsin the contents of the pockets falling to the floor. Furthermore,folding the trousers will often either cause the crease to be removed orother undesirable creases to be formed. When the trousers are suspendedfrom the cuffs most of the weight is downward 7 a hanger of thecharacter described which is an unsupported type of hanger and may behung on a rod or bar in the same way as the conventional type of clotheshanger as distinguished from the supported type of hanger which has tobe fastened to a wall bracket or otherwise fixed to. a door or the like.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent byreference to the following description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a new and improved type oftrousers hanger in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the hanger shown in Figure 1; y

Figure ,3 isa side elevational view showing the manner in which thetrousers are supported by the hanger.

Referring to Figure 1, the hanger illustrated comprises a pair oftrousers supporting members 2 and 4 each curvingat one end at points 6and 8, respectively, then uniting at point Ill and finally terminatingin a hook portion I! which is adapted to slide on a clothes rod or anyother suitable supporting member. At the opposite ends of supportingmembers 2 and 4 is a locking device l4 comprising curved end portions I6and I8 which can readily be engaged and disengaged provided as desiredin order to hold the trousers in place or to remove'them, as the casemay be.

It will be observed that this type of hanger is generally asymmetricalorrunsymmetrical as distinguished from the conventional clothes hangerwhich is symmetrical. The hook portion I2 is preferably off center, as

center in order to properly balance and support the average trousers. Insome cases, however, it may be desirable to have the hook in the centeror substantially midway oi the length of members 2 and 4.

The manner in which the hanger is used is shown in Figure 3. To use thehanger the ends f5 and I8 are unlocked 0r disengaged, as shown in Figure'2, and the loops 20 of the trousers 22 are passed over supportingmembers 2 and t, as shown in Figure 3. The front of the trousers ispreferably placed on the hanger first and is, therefore, adjacent thecurved end t, as shown in Figure 3, while the rear of the trousers isadjacentthe opposite ends or supporting members 2 and l and-lock orfastening means M. After the trousers are in the position shown inFigure 3, the fastening means i i is preferably engaged by overlappingand engaging curved members I6 and I8, as illustrated. While a lockingmember such as the locking arrangement I! is not absolutely essential,it represents a preferred embodiment of the invention.

It will be understood that some variations may be made without departingfrom the spirit of i the invention. For example, other types of lockingarrangements may be the locking arrangement it.

The materials of construction of the hanger employed instead of may bevaried rather widely. For example, the

supporting members 2 and 4 may be rods, bars or. heavy wire. They arepreferably made of metal, although any other suitable material ofconstruction may be used. They preferably have some flexibility,although they should be rigid enough to support the trousers Withoutsubstantial sagging. In the hanger illustrated in the drawing thesupporting members 2 and 4 continueinto curved portions ii and 8,respectively, which in turn are twisted or united to form the normallyhorizontal portion i0 and finally to form the hook portion i2 so thatthe hanger is made out of one continuous piece of stock. l he boundorunited portion l0 causes the supporting members 2 and 4 to separate orspring apart when the locking members l6 and I8 are disengaged. It isnot essential that the united porshown in Figure 1. vIt is usuallydesirable to have the hook I! ofl.

though this arrangement is preferred. The hook member I2 may also be ina separate piece and may be connected by a link or other suitable meansto the portion l0. If desired the hanger may be heavier at some partsthan at others, as, for instance, in the region illustrated by numerals6 and 8. Other variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

While the art of making clothes hangers is 'old and highly developed, asfar as is known no one has ever heretofore provided a trousers hanger ofthe type herein described which may be employed to hang trousers in anupright position and thereby avoid spilling the contents of the pocketsand the necessity for removing the contents of the pockets. The type ofhanger herein described has the further advantage that it is theunsupported type of hanger and does not have to be fixed to a wall oradoor. The manner in which the trousers are supported by the hanger isextremely simple. Little time is required by the user in order to hangup a pair of trousers. By using this type of hanger the trousers may behung without destroying the creases. Balance is contributed by havingthe hook substantially ofi center with respect to the middle of thehanging or supporting members. The trousers are retained in position, inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, by theprovision of a simple type of locking means on the ends of thesupporting members whereby these members may be readily fastenedtogether after the belt loops of the trousers have been passedthereover. These results are all accomplished by means of an extremelysimple construction whichmay be manufactured commercially at a very lowcost. The invention is therefore believed to represent a substantialcontribution to the art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Pat ent of the United. States is:

1. A clothes hanger formed from a substantially continuous piece ofheavy wire comprising a pair of side by side freely separable supportingmembers having free ends and separable fastening means adjacent theretoto fasten and unfasten said ends, and with the ends opposite said freeends bent upwardly and backwardly in the general direction of the freeends to form a hook member adapted to support the hanger from a suitablesupporting means.

2. A clothes hanger formed from a substantially continuous piece ofheavy wire comprising a pairof side by side freely separable supportingmembers having free ends and separable fastening means adjacent theretoand integral therewith to fasten and unfasten said ends, and with theends opposite said free ends bent upwardly and backwardly in the generaldirection of the free ends to form a hook member adapted to support thehanger from a suitable supporting means, said hook member being offcenter with respect to the middle of the supporting members in adirection away from said free ends.

3. A clothes hanger formed from a substantially continuous piece ofheavy wire comprising -a pair of side by side freely separablesupporting members having free ends and separable fastening meansadjacent thereto to fasten and unfasten said ends, and with the endsopposite said free ends bent upwardly and backwardly in the generaldirection of the free ends to form a hook member, and means above saidbent portion to bind said wire together while permitting said wire toseparate freely below said bent portion.

4. A clothes hanger of the character described formed from asubstantially continuous Piece of heavy wire doubled upon itself to forma pair of side by side supporting members substantially parallel whenheld together at their free ends and adapted to support a pair oftrousers by the belt loops, curved interlocking means formed from eachof the free ends of said supporting members and adapted to interlock tofasten said ends together, an upward bend in each of said supportingmembers opposite their free ends, a hook member formed from the centralportion of said wire and disposed above and off center with respect tothe centers of said supporting members, and means between the upper partof said bend and said hook member binding said wire together wherebysaid supporting members separate freely.

RICHARD JAMES SHANAHAN.

